142 CHASE OF THE WILD RED DEER 



West, as he views Charley shaking along towards 

 the gap in the hedgerows. Then with his stentorian 

 voice he calls out to Sam, ' Your hounds are on a 

 fox, Sam.' Sam does not hear, but rides up within 

 a hundred yards of us. ' What, Sir ? ' ' Your hounds 

 are on a fox, Sam,' repeats the M. F. H. 'Think 

 not, Sir,' says Sam. 'My hounds won't hunt a 

 fox ! ' 'I tell you they are on a fox, Sam — call 

 them off,' says the fox-hunter. Sam looks vicious, 

 but he obeys, saying in a voice which could be 

 heard by the master of foxhounds, but certainly not 

 by the tufters, ' Get away hounds, get away — aint 

 you ashamed of hunting a stinking little warmint, 

 not half the size of yourselves? Get away ! ' Sam 

 still maintains his creed that his tufters were not on 

 the fox, and two minutes afterwards a yell announced 

 that a different sort of animal was afoot. Another 



tally; Tom W \'^ voice — a guarantee that it is the 



right thing- — for the good yeoman is the best and 

 truest stag-hunter that ever cheered a hound. 

 Every one is on the alert ; we ride forward, and 

 presently, in the distance, view, not a stag, alas ! 

 but a hind breakincr towards the moor. ' How is 



o 



* Tom Webber, a good yeoman of Kingsbrompton ; he died in 

 1S63. Mr Bisset eulogised him as 'the best and truest stag-hunter 

 that ever cheered hound.' 



